Haryana health minister orders inquiry into construction material of new building at General Hospital, Sector 6https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/vij-orders-inquiry-into-construction-material-of-new-building-at-general-hospital-sector-6/

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij during the inauguration of online services at General Hospital in Sector 6, Panchkula, on Tuesday. (Source: Express photo by Jaipal Singh)

Raising a question mark over the quality of material used in the construction of the new building of the General Hospital, Sector 6, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday ordered an inquiry, and directed that the samples of the construction material be sent for laboratory testing.

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Vij was in Panchkula on Tuesday to inaugurate the online health facilities at the General Hospital, Sector 6, which became the first hospital in the state to have e-registration facilities. Vij said the online facilities would be launched in all government hospitals of the state by March 2016.

While passing by the old building which was under renovation, Vij picked up a floor tile, and expressed doubts over the quality of material being used in the construction and renovation. “I have my doubts over the quality of construction material being used. There should be an inquiry into the material being used in the building, and from where it is being brought. The samples of the material need to be sent for testing to Shri Ram Laboratory, Delhi,” he said. The building is being built by the National Buildings Construction Corporation.

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With a battery of local BJP leaders behind him, the health minister visited various departments of the hospital, and checked the health facilities being offered to patients. On noticing that the X-ray machine of the dental department has been non-functional for the last one year, he asked the Director General Health Services, Dr D P Lochan, to submit an inquiry report in two days.

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Vij checked the equipment of the dental ward, and reprimanded the doctors when he found that they were not changing gloves when they attended to a new patient. “There needs to be proper hygiene in the hospital. In the present conditions, a patient who comes to get himself checked might get some other infection on his visit to the hospital,” he said.

Some patients also complained of non-functional air conditioners recently installed by the hospital authorities, following which the minister asked the Civil Surgeon, Dr V K Bansal, to look into the issue. He also checked the complaint box, and asked the civil surgeon to act on the complaints dropped into the box against a doctor who allegedly does not report on duty, but gets his attendance marked.

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While examining the stock of medicines in the emergency ward, Vij found that some medicines which were due for expiry in the next three months were also kept in the ward. “There is no record of the expired medicines maintained by the hospital, and how they are being destroyed or exchanged at the central store. There is no proper process being followed for medicines which are nearing expiry,” said Vij, seeking a written explanation.

Asked about the lack of advanced facilities in the hospital, and that most of the patients are referred to hospitals in Chandigarh, the minister said, “We are working on it, and are in the process of recruiting 761 doctors who will join in the next few months. We have issued advertisements for hiring over 2,800 para-medical staff and 100 dental surgeons. We have also sought details from hospitals in all districts about their requirement for medical equipment. So, once we have complete staff and requisite equipment, then each hospital will become self-sufficient.”